Matevos Darbinian
| cityofbirth = Yerevan | countryofbirth = Armenian SSR | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Forward | currentclub = Jeonnam Dragons | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1998-1999 1999-2000 | youthclubs = Alashkert Ararat Yerevan | years = 2000-2005 2013-2017 2017- | clubs = Ararat Yerevan New Castle Jeonnam Dragons | caps(goals) = | nationalyears = 2006-2016 | nationalteam = Armenia | nationalcaps(goals) = 30 (8) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Matevos Darbinian (born October 28, 1982) is an Armenian professional footballer who plays in South Korea for K League Classic side Jeonnam Dragons as a striker. Early life and youth career Darbinian was born in Yerevan, in the Armenian Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. He played one year for local side FC Alashkert before the club was dissolved, at which time he moved across town to join rivals Ararat. Club career New Castle Darbinian came to St. Gregory in the summer of 2013 for a successful trial with League A club New Castle, who signed him to a three-year contract. Darbinian's 20 league goals in 2013-14 ranked him third-best in the league and he became New Castle's number one striker. He was also appeared in the 2014 SGFA All-Star Game. On November 27, 2014, Darbinian scored the first goal in the first-ever League A Thanksgiving Day match, as New Castle beat Midland International F.C. 4-2 at QuickCash Stadium. Entering the final matchday of the 2015-16 League A season on May 21, 2016, Darbinian and Kane O'Bray were tied at 22 goals each. Facing Helena Point Rangers, Darbinian scored his 23rd goal of the season early in the 3-1 win, and finished as the league's top scorer as O'Bray was held without a goal at Forest United. Darbinian became the first New Castle player to win the League A Golden Boot since Jesús Luna in 2008-09, and was named to the SGFA Team of the Season for the second time in three years. He avoided free agency by signing a one-year contract extension in the summer of 2016. Darbinian scored New Castle's first goal of 2016-17 as his 85th minute strike helped the Reds erase a 2-0 deficit and earn a 2-2 draw at home to Helena Point Rangers at Redfield on September 30, 2016. He scored again at Forest United two weeks later following the international break, and tallied in the October 29 derby match at Bonneville United in a 3-3 draw. On November 21, 2016, Darbinian recorded a hat-trick in a 5-2 win at Cape Wells Wanderers, scoring twice in the first half and once in the second half from the penalty spot. Another multi-goal game followed just five days later at home to Little Rouge as Darbinian scored twice in a 3-0 win. Darbinian failed to record a goal in the month of April 2017, the only calendar month in his entire New Castle career where he was healthy and did not score. Regardless, he still ended the season with 17 goals, third-best in League A. His last goal for New Castle came on May 5 in a 2-0 home win over Manorham, and he made his final appearance for the club on May 20 in a 1-1 home draw with Rivergate. By that stage, it had already been announced that Darbinian would not be re-signed by New Castle and would leave as a free agent. He was given a standing ovation by the Redfield crowd at the end of the game, and took a lap around the stadium to thank the fans. Jeonnam Dragons On July 3, 2017, Darbinian posted a video to his Instagram account thanking the New Castle fans for their support over his four years with the team. The same day, he signed with K League Classic club Jeonnam Dragons on a two-year contract. International career Darbinian represented Armenia on the international stage for 10 years between 2006 and 2016, earning 30 caps and scoring 8 goals. He made his final appearance for his country on October 11, 2016, against Poland. Category:Player pages Category:New Castle F.C. players Category:Players no longer with SGFA clubs Category:People from Armenia